The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Near field communication (NFC) includes a set of short-range wireless technologies. NFC operates within the globally available unlicensed ISM band of 13.56 MHz at data rates ranging from 106 to 424 Kilobits per second. NFC involves an initiator and a target. The initiator actively generates a radio frequency field that can power a passive target. NFC uses magnetic induction between two loop antennas located within each other's near field, effectively forming an air-core transformer. Typical NFC targets include unpowered tags, stickers, key fobs, or cards. NFC peer-to-peer communication is possible when both devices are powered.
NFC tags contain data and are typically read-only, but may be writeable. The NFC tags can securely store personal data such as debit and credit card information, loyalty program data, PINs and networking contacts, and/or other information. NFC-enabled portable devices can be provided with applications to read electronic tags or make payments when connected to an NFC-compliant apparatus.